Cremer halts career

HARARE - Leg-spinner Graeme Cremer has jumped out of the Zimbabwe Cricket (ZC) ship temporarily to settle with his family in the United Arab Emirates.

The ex-Zimbabwe captain, however, insists he will be back soon as he explores the option of commuting back and forth to join his teammates both on the domestic and national front.

“No I haven’t retired. Myself and the family have moved to Dubai as my wife has a job here with Emirates,” Cremer told the Daily News yesterday.

“So as it stands I need to settle the family here before I make any big decisions. I would like to commute back and forth from Dubai, but it’s not possible for now, hopefully I will be back soon.”

In an interview with our sister publication, Daily News on Sunday last week, the 32-year-old said he was itching for a quick return to the national team after missing a couple of home and away assignments as a result of a knee surgery he went through in August last year.

His last involvement with the team was during the failed ICC World Cup Qualifiers at home in March. Zimbabwe lost to minnows United Arab Emirates and lost a place in the final and the 2019 World Cup set for England.

Cremer said he was working round the clock to bounce back to the national team adding that he was 60 percent fit.

“It’s been tough, injuries are always a huge set back, and very frustrating mentally, and hard watching the games from the sidelines,” Cremer said.

“I would say I’m around 60 percent at the moment, so I have a lot of work to do, especially strengthening the knee again. I feel my skill level has not dipped a lot; it’s just the fitness and strength side that I have struggled with, so I was happy with how things went on my return to domestic cricket.

“…That decision (to strip him of captaincy) by Zim cricket was hard to take, especially because myself and the team gave our absolute best in the qualifiers,” he comments on being stripped of his captaincy and the wholesome changes effected after the loss in the Qualifiers.

ZC acting managing director Givemore Makoni said Cremer would be greatly missed and hoped that the former captain will be available for selection again soon.

“Your wickets, numbers and everything you have contributed to our game speak for themselves and we as ZC are proud of you,” Makoni said.

“Your services will be greatly missed but we hope to have you in our national colours again soon. In the meantime, we send our best wishes to you and your family.”

Cremer made his Test debut aged 18 in June 2005 against Bangladesh in Chittagong having played only six first class matches.

He went on to claim six wickets in the two Test matches against the Tigers. His ODI debut came in 2009 against Kenya in Mombasa and has played 19 Tests, 96 ODIs and 29 T20 games for Zimbabwe.

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